As you think about your new idea, consider the following:
- The idea: At its core, the rationale for developing any opportunity must be academic for which students receive credit. Consider the following:
- Is there broad support for this idea amongst your department colleagues and department chair?
- How would this program support, enhance, and complement your department’s academic goals for your students and/or the broader UW-Madison academic mission for students?
- What is the specific rationale for this idea? How would this opportunity meet student needs that aren’t currently met by other study abroad, domestic study away, and international internship opportunities?
- Viability: We consider many additional factors (safety and liability issues, administrative and logistical concerns, costs, sufficient student interest to sustain a program) to make this determination.
If you are interested in developing a faculty-led program, consider the following as well:
- Commitment: Creating a program takes time and is not easy! The planning and development takes on average 15-18 months.
- Frequency: Do you want to lead a program once? Every year? Every other year? Given the amount of time and commitment needed, it is preferable to create programs that are viable for the long-term. Keeping that in mind, consider the following:
- Does the academic idea (and departmental interest) allow other faculty to lead the program in subsequent years?’
- How much time, short- and long-term, can you commit to this endeavor?
- Is the academic idea flexible enough to allow other faculty to “join” in future iterations of the program?
We encourage an approach where programs are developed cooperatively with a department, multiple faculty members, or multiple departments since they may have a greater chance of long-term viability than a program developed by an individual faculty member.
- Structures and Logistics: The guiding principle we use is creating structures that meet the academic goals of the program which also satisfy the quality/safety/budget standards of the university. This is achieved through different procedures and policies. The execution of logistics is usually achieved by partnering with overseas universities, study abroad provider organizations, travel organizations, or individuals. If you have a local partner that you would like evaluated for providing services you must provide that information to us. Local partners are evaluated to ensure they meet UW-Madison requirements (financial, legal, etc.). If you don’t have a local partner identified we can assist in identifying a partner to provide the services needed to support the program
- Timing and Length: Faculty-led programs can be for a semester (spring, fall, or academic year) or summer (usually between 1-10 weeks), spring-break (1 week) and winter intersession (2-3 weeks). A semester program should award credit for a “full-time” student (between 12-18 credits). For summer, spring break, & winter durations, the amount of credit will vary depending on instructional time and content, but generally ranges from 1-12 credits.
- Academics: A full syllabus for each UW-Madison graded-credit course is created by faculty for a program and either provided when the initial idea is reviewed or no later than the program vetting step. Please note that courses abroad, while taking full advantage of each locale and its resources, should meet the same academic standards and principles as on-campus courses. Additionally, program syllabi should include daily schedules which indicate out-of-class components and activities which are part of the academic program. IAP staff are happy to advise you with these aspects of the syllabi.
- Location: The academic objectives drive the selection of site(s) for each program (in accordance with UW travel policies regarding health and safety abroad). In general, more time at a specific site to develop a greater understanding of “place” is prioritized over a “travel tour” structure, but dual and multi-site programs are attractive for certain academic objectives and comparative approaches.
- Staffing: UW-Madison faculty, assistants, support staff, instructors, etc. may be added to a program on a case-by-case basis to meet the needs of each program and to complement each other’s strengths and skills and also must also be financially viable.